1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to wireless telecommunications, and in particular to multimedia messaging services (MMS).
2. Background of Related Art
The world has been transformed by the emergence of electronic messaging. Initially, short messaging services (SMS) were developed to allow text messaging. Later, these text capabilities were expanded to include audio and images with multimedia messaging services (MMS).
To send an MMS message, an MMS message file must first be created. The format of an MMS message file is documented in the MMS Encapsulation Protocol specification published by the Open Mobile Association (www.openmobileassociation.org) and/or the WAP Forum (www.wapforum.org). The MMS message file format consists of an MMS message binary header, followed by a multipart MIME message where the multipart message is encoded in a binary multipart format as defined by the WAP Wireless Session Protocol (WSP) specification. This binary MMS message file is stored on a web server using a MIME type of application/vnd.wap.mms-message and an MMS message type of m-retrieve-conf. A subset of the binary MMS header is sent as an MMS notification message (MMS message type m-notification-ind) via SMS to the mobile device together with a URL pointer to the location of the complete message.
MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) messages are sent using a combination of SMS and Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) technologies. Conventionally, when an MMS message is sent, a mobile device 800 receives an MMS notification message via SMS. When this MMS notification message is received by the mobile device 800, the mobile device 800 either automatically or at user request initiates a WAP gateway connection to download the content of the MMS message.
Messages are delivered from an MMSC to a handset via an MM1 interface, which is normally implemented over a WAP gateway, but may also be delivered via some other proprietary direct IP air interface. MM4 is strictly defined as MMSC to MMSC communication. MM7 is the Value Added Service Provider interface to the MMSC. It is defined as an XML/SOAP API. MM4 and MM7 are not used to communicate to handset devices. MM4 is the MMS standard for connectivity between multiple MMSCs. MM4 is an SMTP based interface where the MMS message is posted to the server as a standard MIME encoded e-mail message. MM1 is the MMS standard for phones to send and receive MMS messages from an MMSC. For information relating to components of the MMS standard, reference should be made to 3 Gpp TS 23.140 v6.5.0 Technical Specification —3rd Generation Partnership Project; Technical Specification Group Terminals; Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS); Functional description; Stage 2 (Release 6).
Moreover, wireless Service Providers (carriers) currently install a single Multimedia Messaging Service Center (MMSC) to support all of their multimedia messaging subscribers. The number of subscribers that the single MMSC can support is limited. In order to support more than one MMSC in the carrier's network, each MMSC must have a unique Internet address. Internet messages must be sent to the explicit mailbox and Internet domain name for a particular MMSC. Thus, multiple MMSCs serving the same network must each be referenced by unique address@domains. This forces the carrier to either rely on a single MMSC, or to publish a different domain for each MMSC deployed. This results in uncertainty for message senders as to which domain messages to any particular subscriber within the network should be addressed.
Carriers providing Multimedia Messaging Services utilize a single MMSC to serve all subscribers in their network OR they require messages to be addressed to the specific domain name of the MMSC hosting the subscriber, resulting in the use of multiple domain names for Multimedia Messaging within a single carrier network.
FIG. 3 depicts the conventional installation of an MMSC and an SMSC in a wireless provider's network.
There are disadvantages with the current technology. For instance, wireless service providers cannot publish a single domain name that can be used to address all of the carriers subscribers. Moreover, wireless service providers are forced to either rely on a single MMSC, or to publish a different domain for each MMSC deployed. Nationwide wireless service providers cannot employ multiple MMSCs to service geographically diverse population centers or to provide geographic redundancy for fault tolerance. Wireless service providers cannot easily integrate Multimedia Message Centers from multiple vendors. Any processing that the carrier wants to apply to Multimedia Messages must be applied at each MMSC. Also, there is no single point of connection for third party service providers to connect to send messages to all subscribers within the carrier's network.
There is a need for techniques and architecture for MMS services which are simpler to implement from a sender's perspective, and which ensure maximum profitability from a carrier's perspective.